Russian Strikes Kill Three in Eastern Ukraine

New negotiations over the Middle East war were set to begin in Switzerland, with Iranian negotiators arriving ahead of US Vice President JD Vance. Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz again, citing Israeli attacks in Lebanon and a US "breach of contract." Vance expressed hope for progress on the nuclear issue and a Lebanon ceasefire. Earlier talks in Switzerland had been postponed after Israel conducted deadly strikes in Lebanon, following the deaths of four Israeli soldiers. Washington had announced a renewed ceasefire, a condition for its preliminary agreement with Iran, but clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters resumed on Saturday, with mutual accusations of truce violations. Iran's military command stated the Strait of Hormuz would be closed to vessel traffic due to the "Zionist regime's continuous and relentless violation of the ceasefire." The strait is a critical conduit for oil and gas shipments. Iran had previously blockaded it during the Iran-Iraq war, causing global energy market turmoil. Tehran had agreed to reopen it under a preliminary accord with the US, and shipping traffic had begun to recover. US Central Command reported that safe passage through the waterway remained intact, with US forces present and vigilant. Former President Donald Trump warned Washington could impose its own tolls on Hormuz if negotiations failed. An Iranian delegation, including parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived in Switzerland, stating they would demand the other party's commitments be implemented. Vance, en route to Europe, indicated he could only stay for a day or two, with US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff already handling technical elements. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir also departed for Switzerland to participate in high-level talks.

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make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're going to be focused on